Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Tree
Shrub
Origin
Caribbean, Central America, South America, Brazil
Southern Africa
Types
-
Carissa Carandas
Number of Varieties
-4
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Subtropical climates, subtropical regions
Coastal bush land, Sandy areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-159-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-9
Sunset Zone
H1, H2
H2, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Cushion/Mound-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
550.00 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Ivory, Gray
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Magenta, Violet
Hot Pink, Magenta, Purple, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Cuneate
Oval to roundish
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Late Winter
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Does not require regular watering
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Equal amount of N,P,K
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds
Allergy
Asthma
Mildly Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
along a porch, deck or patio, Ground Cover, small hedge
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Iron, Potassium, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Wood
Fruits
Other Uses
Used for woodware, Wood is used for making furniture
Cake, Jam, Jelly, Sauces
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Edible, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Botanical Name
TRIPLARIS americana
CARISSA macrocarpa 'Emerald Blanket'
Common Name
Ant Stick, Macaw, St. Mary's Stick
Large Num-Num
In Hindi
Macaw
नेटाल बेर
In German
Ara
Natal Plum
In French
ara
natal Plum
In Spanish
guacamayo
Ciruela Natal
In Greek
μακώ
Natal Plum
In Portuguese
arara
Natal Plum
In Polish
ara
Natal Plum
In Latin
Ara
Natal Plum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Gentianales
Family
Polygonaceae
Apocynaceae
Genus
Triplaris
Carissa
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Carisseae
Subfamily
-
Rauvolfioideae
Number of Species
-20
1
27800
👆🏻